Advice for potential applicants to

Oxford or Cambridge Universities

MGLC, Head of Scholars, Warwick School, 2011

1
Contents

Oxbridge advice for U5ths

Considering Oxbridge?

Admission statistics from a Cambridge College

Choosing a College

Brief snapshot of Cambridge Colleges

10

Brief snapshot of Oxford Colleges

15

UCAS Section 10 from an Oxbridge point of view

19

The Interview

20

Norrington Table (Oxford)

23

Tompkins Table

24

(Cambridge)

Arts/Humanities courses NOT requiring specific A-levels

25

Notes on other subjects

28

Medicine

29

Sciences

30

Choral Awards

32

Glossary/Miscellany

35

Oxbridge advice for U5ths

A table of courses at Oxford and their entrance requirements as regards A levels can be found at
http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/courses/enreq.shtml
Similar information, though not in tabular form, for Cambridge is at
http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/requirements/
Please note that Oxford and Cambridge (like all good universities) are currently keen (i.e. under
government pressure) to increase accessibility from the maintained sector. This means that they cannot
be seen to be excluding good pupils from applying simply because their school does not properly offer
specific A levels. The requirements should be seen as designed to cater for this, and as absolute
minimum requirements.
To give some examples:
For Classics course at Oxford and Cambridge, neither Latin nor Greek A level an absolute
requirement . This is aimed at making the course accessible to pupils at state schools where the
classics are not offered. They are here, so you would not be a serious candidate without at least
one of Latin or Greek.
Similarly for modern languages only ONE ML A level is required. But we have a very strong
language departments and tradition (both modern and classical), so it doesnt exactly show much
commitment and enthusiasm if you are only doing one language.
Similarly for subjects where Further Mathematics is recommended: Cambridge Engineering says
Colleges are aware that not all schools offer Further Maths A-level, and will not discriminate
against applicants who have not had the opportunity to take it. However, if your school or
college is able to offer Further Maths, you are strongly encouraged to study this. We do, so
you must!
Entry for all subjects is extremely competitive. If you choose NOT to take a subject which is
officially described as Desirable or Recommended you will clearly be putting yourself at a
disadvantage compared to other candidates who will be doing these subjects (and will also
have got lots of GCSE A* grades, high AS marks etc!).

Choosing Your AS and A levels?

Cambridge currently offers the following advice on choosing AS/A levels, at
http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/apply/docs/subjectmatters.pdf

Do you want to keep your options open?

Choosing subject combinations that genuinely keep your options open
is trickier than you might think. We often encounter students who
have chosen to take two arts and two science subjects at AS Level
because they believe it will keep their options open. While such a
subject combination does provide a
suitable preparation for many arts and social science courses at the
University it can make you a less competitive applicant for Cambridges
broad-based science courses.
There are certain A Level subjects that are considered either essential
or useful for a number of courses at Cambridge, therefore choosing one
or more of these will help keep your higher education options open.
These subjects include: Chemistry, English Literature, History,
languages, Mathematics and Physics. Other subjects that also
facilitate course choice at Cambridge include Further Mathematics
and Biology.
If you want to keep your options open but you think you are likely to
want to study an arts/social science or science-based course at
university please read our further advice overleaf. (Same website as
mentioned just above).

Oxford does not currently offer similar advice, but it could be presumed to apply in much the same way
there, and indeed at many of the best Russell Group universities (all of which are MORE competitive in
terms of numbers of applicants than Oxbridge, e.g. Oxbridge about 4 applicants per place overall,
Durham more like 12!!).

If you do know now that you would like apply to read a particular subject at Oxford or Cambridge, do
feel free to see MGLC (CL3) to check that your choice of AS levels will give you the best possible
chance.
MGLC, January 2011.

Considering Oxbridge?
o Oxford and Cambridge are the oldest and most prestigious universities in Britain.
o Tuition fees at Oxford and Cambridge are almost certain to be the same as other good
universities, at the maximum (9,000 per annum).
o By no means all subjects are offered, e.g. neither offers dentistry, politics (on its own), or marine
biology, to name just three.
o Many combinations of subjects are offered, but others are not, e.g. you can study philosophy &
physics, but not history & chemistry.
o Oxford and Cambridge are NOT the best universities for every subject.
o Being very good at sport gives you no advantage in getting in as an undergraduate (though it
does as a graduate).
o Being very good at playing the organ or (if male) at singing does probably give you some
advantage (via choral awards), but only at the most prestigious musical colleges (see separate
sheet on choral awards).
o The courses on offer may have particular emphases which set them apart from other university
courses, e.g. Oxford Law self-confessedly concentrates on topics of intellectual rather than
practical importance. Theology courses at both O&C require study of ancient Greek (or a harder
language such as Hebrew).
o Oxford, Cambridge and Durham are distinctive as collegiate universities (London Colleges
are really separate universities)
o There is no such thing as an Oxbridge type in terms of personality (as a survey of teaching staff
would prove!).
o Do remember that you will be living in the relevant town or city. Neither is a very logical choice
if what you really want to do at university is mountaineering or sailing.
o Oxford is 45 mins from Warwick by road or rail. Cambridge is 2 hrs by road, 3hrs + by rail.
What you need in terms of grades:
A level: The vast majority of applicants across all subjects at Oxford and Cambridge will be predicted
(or have achieved) straight As at A level. Last year Oxford and Cambridge each turned down 5,000
applicants who went on to get 3 As or better. Standard Cambridge offer is A*AA (but not counting A*
in maths for candidates also doing further maths.) Oxford offers for most maths/science subjects will
now include an A* in a maths/science subject.
AS level: Cambridges application form now asks for all module results, including UMS scores to be
declared. CU reckons that UMS scores are a very good predictor of degree results and so take them very
seriously, and are probably looking for averages of over 90%. Oxfords application form does not ask
for module results.
GCSE: To be a serious Oxbridge applicant one might expect to have 7 A* at GCSE, with the rest at A
grade. Prospective medics will almost certainly need more. This does not mean that there is a formula,
especially since Oxbridge admission is for a particular subject at a particular college. Tutors are well
aware that an excellent scientist may well not have done well at arts subjects, or conversely that an
excellent linguist could have struggled with science. Admissions tutors also have access to records for
average results from a particular school.

NB on grades, see especially analysis of grades achieved by those offered places at Selwyn C,
Cambridge for 2007. But also allow for continuing grade inflation!
What you need beyond grades:
Oxford and Cambridge no longer have nearly enough places to offer one to every pupil nationally who
achieves straight As at GCSE and/or A level. The main things you need in addition are probably a
genuine love of the subject you want to read and intellectual curiosity.
Check you are doing the right subjects:
Not totally obvious, e.g. Law A-level certainly not an advantage for Law. Oxford PPE (philosophy,
politics, economics) does not require P, P or E, but does require mathematics. Cambridge Economics
requires double maths. Check in prospectus (but read it critically - see my advice in bold on page 1 of
this booklet) and/or with me.
What you dont need:
The official policy on admissions at Oxford and Cambridge is that it is done purely on the basis of
academic potential. Therefore extra-curricular interests or achievements are given no official
importance. Again, however, it will vary from tutor to tutor, and fulfilling a large range of commitments
may be taken as showing that one could cope well with the pressures of short but busy terms.
In recent years, 30 or more boys in the U6th have applied to Oxbridge, with about 12 each year
receiving offers. Quite a few apply (or reapply) post A level with fairly similar rates of success.
MGLC, June 2006 (+ updated Hilary 2011)

Admission Statistics from Selwyn College

Applications for Autumn 2007 (mostly took finals in 2010)
Total applications: 448
Total places: 110

(Arts: 292
Sciences: 156)
(total offers: slightly more)

I would describe Selwyn as fairly good college. Medium-sized, not very old or new, quite near the town
centre and very near the faculty buildings. It has been steadily improving its placing in the Tompkins
table. The majority of this intake will have taken finals in 2010, when Selwyn was ranked 6th on the
Tompkins table, so this group was probably slightly above average for Cambridge as a whole, but the
figures for GCSE and AS marks of applicants and successful applicants did exactly reflect statistics for
Cambridge overall in 2006/7
The figures will inevitably hide significant variations from subject to subject.
A* grades
12+
8-11
4-7
0-3

Applied %
1%
34%
41%
24%

= approx candidates*
4-5
152
184
108

Offered %
4%
65%
28%
3%

= approx candidates*
5
78
34
4

For candidates who had taken GCSE, the average number of A* grades was 6, but for those who received an offer, the average rises to 8.

UMS (average
of 3 best/most
relevant AS
95-100
90-94
85-89
80-84%
<79%

Applied

= approx
candidates*

Offered

= approx
candidates*

13%
28%
29%
20%
10%

58
125
130
90
45

35%
47%
14%
4%
0%

42
56
17
5
0

For all candidates, the average was 88%, rising to 92% for those who received offers.
In Sept 2010, a study by Cambridge University concluded that there was a good correlation
between UMS figures and final degree results (which is ultimately what colleges are interested in).
Therefore admissions tutors will be placing even more emphasis on this aspect of your application
(more than on GCSE A* grades, which, apparently, do not predict degree result well).
Inevitably one can expect a couple of percent grade inflation between 2007 and present!
* The figures is grey were not provided by the college, but are my calculations. They are based on the
college making very slightly more offers than places (I have guessed 10 extra offers overall). They also
ignore the fact that some of the applicants did not do GCSE/AS level. They should however be roughly
accurate in giving an idea of ratios, i.e. that overall just over half (78/152) candidates who applied with
8-11 A*, were given offers. The 65% figure means that two-thirds of those given offers have 8-11
GCSE A*.

7
Choosing a college at Oxford or Cambridge
Oxford and Cambridge are both collegiate universities, in other words each is made up of around 30
individual colleges. Any student at the university has to be a member of (and therefore admitted by) an
individual college. Each college is like a mini university, admitting each year around 120 students for
20-30 different subject groups. Colleges employ their own academic staff and have their own buildings
and facilities for sport, music, drama, and often have particular strengths in non-academic areas
(schools/faculties). The great advantage of the collegiate system is that you get to know a range of
people doing different subjects and have a chance to do extra-curricular activities at a college level that
you would perhaps not have been able to do at a university level. The disadvantage is that admissions
can seem a very daunting subject, since although there are university policies for individual subjects and
sometimes even common tests, the colleges are fiercely independent and each individual college, and
subject within a college, may well have its own idea of what it is looking for in an application and even
apparent biases towards or against independent schools.
You do not have to choose a college. An open application is possible at either university. In this case,
your application will go to a college chosen by computer allocation. Open applications have the same
overall statistical rate of success. About 20% of successful applicants are accepted by a college they did
not choose. The vast majority are extremely happy. Nonetheless, I would not really recommend an open
application, since the choice of college is important for two main reasons:
You may be able slightly to improve your chances of being accepted.
Much more importantly because your college will probably be the centre of your social life for
your 3 or 4 years at university. A small number of students will devote themselves to universitybased activities such as blues sport or the Union, or to their subject faculty. A far greater number
will live, eat, drink, socialise, play sport or music, and study almost entirely within their college.
Some will even marry someone from the same college!

How to choose a college:

There are about 30 colleges at each university.
Some colleges are only for mature students/graduates. You cannot apply to these.1 Nor to New Hall =
Murray Edwards C, or Newnham (Cambridge) which only admit women. All Oxford colleges are now
mixed (St. Hildas from 2008). Not all colleges take students for all subjects. See the prospectuses for
details.
Read through my very quick profiles of the colleges.
Read through the college profiles in the internet or paper prospectus, remembering that they are
written by people who want to attract applicants to that college or even by people whose job it is
to do so!
http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/colleges/
http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/colleges/
You should also read some prospectuses produced by individual colleges (with the same caveat).
You might also want to read the alternative prospectus produced by students at most colleges,
1

Harris Manchester (Oxford), Hughes Hall, Lucy Cavendish, St. Edmunds, Wolfson (Cambridge)

8
remembering that these are usually written by a single individual or small clique who may or
may not represent what the students think!
Email a question to subject tutors at series of short-listed colleges. See how quickly/well they
answer (suggested by a Cambridge admissions tutor)
You might consider some or all of the following:
Is the college unusually large or small?
Is it mainly old or new, and central or placed slightly outside the city?
These usually go together. For some, part of the point of going to Oxbridge would be lost at a college built entirely in the
1970s, but all colleges have at least some modern accommodation. The most famous, city centre colleges attract hordes
of tourists. Newer colleges away from the centre may be quieter and have more pleasant grounds.

The non-academic reputation of the college.

Sporting, musical, dramatic etc. But all colleges have sports teams and also plenty of people who will never go near
their college sports ground.

The academic reputation of the college.

For this see the Norrington/Tompkins table. But also remember that colleges may be particularly strong or relatively
weak in individual subjects.

You should probably not consider

Statistics relating to %ages of applicants/acceptances from independent schools.
The status or public profile of the subject tutor at the college.
Professors traditionally do much more teaching of graduates than undergraduates, so are unlikely to teach you anyway.
Academics (fellows/dons) have frequent periods of study leave, and much tutorial teaching is done by lecturers or
graduates rather than college fellows. Dons with a high public profile may well do less teaching than others.

Whether a college and subject had an especially small or large number of applicants last year, or
the breakdown of male/female applicants.
(The statistic is just as likely to be reversed as repeated the following year)

You should certainly

Speak to the relevant teacher(s) at school to get advice about your choice.
The school may well have a track-record from previous good and bad students in a particular subject at a particular
college which might help or hinder your application. Remember also that your application will itself add to that record
and affect current and future pupils at Warwick!

Visit the college to which you are intending to apply and speak to the/a tutor in your subject, and
visit at least one other college so that you have a point of comparison.
Oxford and Cambridge run both subject open days and college open days. Those taking place during or immediately
after university full term (i.e. May or June) will allow you to meet current students and give you a far better feel for the
college than visits in the long vacation when the colleges are full of conferences and/or summer schools. Asking for a
prospectus at a college lodge should always gain you entry to look round a college. By far the best reason for applying
to a college is that you like the feel of it when you visit.
If you meet a subject tutor, think whether you would like to be taught by him/her for potentially the next 3 or 4
years. If you definitely would not, dont apply there!

Finally, do not worry too much about choice of college. All colleges are small enough to make it easy to
get to know people, but big enough for there to be people of similar interests, backgrounds etc. And the
vast majority of students really enjoy college life, no matter which college they are at. There are also
literally hundreds of university-wide clubs and societies.
MGLC, March 2006, updated Advent 2009.

9
A very brief snapshot of Cambridge Colleges.

What follows is deliberately very brief and is inevitably subjective. Its purpose is to provide, via the
stereotype a glimpse of what the college is like. This can be used to narrow down choices. You should
certainly use this information in conjunction with my advice on how to choose a college.
Current students at Oxford/Cambridge are the best possible source of advice about what their
college is like (NOT only for their subject) and about what other colleges are like for their subject. If
there is currently someone at Oxford/Cambridge doing your subject, or someone at a college you
are seriously considering, arrange a visit if you can.

10
CHRISTS
Stereotype: Academic regularly at/near top of Tompkins Table

CHURCHILL
Stereotype:

New, away from centre, science-orientated.

College:

CLARE

Stereotype: Beautiful, central and a top tourist attraction. Traditionally quite high on Tompkins
table, though middling for past 4 years.

College:

CORPUS CHRISTI

Stereotype:

The smallest Oxbridge college, one of the oldest.

College:

DOWNING

Stereotype: Very middling! Neither old not new, quite central, medium-sized, middle of
Tompkins table.

College:

EMMANUEL

Stereotype:

Usually near top of Tompkins table

11

College:

FITZWILLIAM

Stereotype:

Newish, large site, lower half of Tompkins table.

College:

GIRTON

Stereotype:

Large, ex-womens college, 2 miles from Cambridge

College:

GONVILLE & CAIUS

Stereotype: Very old & beautiful; right in centre of Cambridge

Tompkins table

College:

touristy. Quite high in

HOMERTON

Stereotype: Teacher training college. In fact this college does admit students for almost every
subject, each with its own DoS (though many only for the first time in 2006/7/8). It will feel and
look different from most colleges: being quite a way from the centre, and with quite a number of
graduates doing a PGCE (1-year teacher-training course). Who would want to socialize with
them?! Certainly the best place for an education degree.

College:
Hughes Hall
You cant apply here as this college is only for undergraduates over 21.

College:

JESUS

Stereotype:

Middling on Tompkins table. Good location: near centre, but not visited by tourists

College:

KINGS

Stereotype: The iconic view of Cambridge is Kings College Chapel, so the whole world wants to
go there to visit or study! Takes 90% of its students from state schools (the same proportion as
apply). Usually in bottom half of Tompkins table.

12

College:
Lucy Cavendish
You cant apply here as this college is only for women over 21.

College:

MAGDALENE

Stereotype: The typical Oxbridge stereotype of a college (Porterhouse Blue) male, rowdy,
drunk a lot, rugger-playing is relatively true of Magdalene. Usually fairly low in Tompkins table.

College:

NEW HALL (Now Called MURRAY EDWARDS)

Stereotype: Womens College (not a stereotype - it really does only take women). Bottom of
Tompkins Table

College:

NEWNHAM

Stereotype: Womens College (not a stereotype- it really does only take women). Low on
Tompkins Table

College:

PEMBROKE

Stereotype: Old and pretty. Very central, but avoids being a complete tourist trap. Usually top
third of Tompkins table.

College:

PETERHOUSE

Stereotype: Old and small. Very central, but avoids being a complete tourist trap. Recently has
been consistently near the bottom of Tompkins table.

College:

QUEENS (note plural)

Stereotype: Large and beautiful site (straddles the river with its famous mathematical bridge).
Usually top half of Tompkins table.

13
College:

ROBINSON

Stereotype: Very, very new (opened 1981, endowed by David Robinson of Robinson (TV)
Rental). Near the arts/social science faculties. Bottom half of Tompkins table.

College:

ST. CATHARINES

Stereotype: Small and central main site, though medium-sized as a college. Previously around
middle of Tompkins table, but last three years near top.

College:
St. Edmunds
You cant apply here as this college is only for undergraduates over 21.

College:

ST JOHNS

Stereotype: Huge, enormously wealthy. Beautiful site, straddling the Cam. Famous for its choir.
Surprisingly NOT in top half of Tompkins table recently.

College:

SELWYN

Stereotype: Fairly new (late Victorian), but the spacious site is now right next to the main
arts/social sciences area. Traditionally a good average college middle sized, middle-ranking:
more recently it has been quite high on the Tompkins table. Seems to be trying very hard to be
school-friendly sent very detailed profile of their 2007 applicants (see separate sheet)

College:

SIDNEY SUSSEX

Stereotype: Opposite Sainsburys! Quite old, attractive and central, though not on tourist track.
Smallish in size. Bottom half of Tompkins table.

College:

TRINITY

Stereotype: Easily the largest and the wealthiest Oxbridge college. Probably also the most
famous, most visited, most beautiful etc. Traditionally very academic (huge list of Nobel laureates)
and enormous college library (designed by Wren).

14

College:

TRINITY HALL

Stereotype: Not to be confused with Trinity! It is next to it, smaller and older. A much more
normal college.

College:
Wolfson
You cant apply here as this college is only for undergraduates over 21 or research students.

MGLC
St. Valentines Day, 2007, revised Lent Term, 2011

15
A very brief snapshot of Oxford Colleges.

What follows is deliberately very brief and is inevitably subjective. Its purpose is to provide, via the
stereotype a glimpse of what the college is like. This can be used to narrow down choices. You should
certainly use this information in conjunction with my advice on how to choose a college.
Current students at Oxford/Cambridge are the best possible source of advice about what their
college is like (NOT only for their subject) and about what other colleges are like for their subject. If
there is currently someone at Oxford/Cambridge doing your subject, or someone at a college you
are seriously considering, arrange a visit if you can.
*
College:

BALLIOL

Stereotype: Old. Boasts about the number of Prime Ministers who studied there (including Blair).
Quite large and academic. Large site.

College:

BRASENOSE (BNC)

Stereotype:

Pleasant, central, medium-sized, quite sporty.

College:

CHRIST CHURCH

Stereotype:

Relatively large, rather public school. College chapel is Oxfords Cathedral.

College:

CORPUS CHRISTI

Stereotype: Very small and pretty (through only taking students for a small range of subjects),
academic, especially on arts side.

College:

EXETER

Stereotype: Fairly average. Very central, middle sized. Position on Norrington table seems to
fluctuate wildly.

College:
Harris Manchester
You cant apply here as this college is only for students over 21.

16

College:

HERTFORD

Stereotype:

Another good average college. Central.

College:

JESUS

Stereotype:
location.

Welsh (but that really is just a stereotype). Another good average college with central

College:

KEBLE

Stereotype:

Looks unfortunately like a prison. Quite large. Sporty. Not academic.

College:

LADY MARGARET HALL (LMH)

Stereotype: Former womens college (mixed from 1978). Large Victorian site in North Oxford.
Usually quite low on Norrington table.

College:

LINCOLN

Stereotype: Fairly average. Very central, slightly smaller than average sized. Position on Norrington
table seems to fluctuate wildly.

College:

MAGDALEN

Stereotype: Old and beautiful with cloisters, right by the river. Famous choir celebrates May day.
Slightly stuck-up? Has its own deer park (I dont know why).

College:

MANSFIELD

Stereotype: Is that a college? Only since 1995 and only does a limited range of subjects (e.g. NOT
Biology, Classics, Chemistry, ML). Very small, recruits mainly from state schools.

College:

MERTON

Stereotype:

Old(est?), traditional, academic. Keen to build on musical tradition.

17

College:

NEW

Stereotype: Very old with cloisters! (founded 1379 (but newer than the other college officially named
after the Virgin Mary, Oriel, hence universally known as New College). Relatively large. Famous
choir

College:

ORIEL

Stereotype:

Old (see comments on New College above). Relatively small. Keen on rowing.

College:

PEMBROKE

Stereotype:

Broke. (Still doesnt accommodate all its quite large number of students).

College:

The QUEENS

Stereotype:

Northern. Central location. Relatively small. Lower half of Norrington table.

College:

ST ANNES

Stereotype:

Large, quite normal

College:

ST CATHERINES (ST CATZ)

Stereotype: Funny modern architecture (most of the college from buildings to cutlery planned as a
unit in the 1960s). Sporty. Large and away from centre.

College:

ST EDMUND HALL (Teddy Hall)

Stereotype:

Lively, quite hearty. Old, central and large.

College:

ST HILDAS

Stereotype: Women only. It was founded to promote womens education, but admitted first men in
2007, because it was often near the bottom of Norrington table, and regularly had fewer first-choice
applicants than places. In fact it was a very happy and successful college with a lovely site on the river.
Now all years mixed, but all tutors female!

18
College:

ST HUGHS

Stereotype: Well away from centre of things. Relatively new (late Victorian, founded as womens
college, mixed since 1986). Often near bottom of Norrington table.

College:

ST JOHNS

Stereotype:

Very wealthy and generous college. Academic. Beautiful gardens. Pretty

sports ground (like almost all colleges, not on site).

College:

ST PETERS

Stereotype:

Not very academic. Fairly central.

College:

SOMERVILLE

Stereotype: Isnt that women only? No fully mixed since 1998, and now a good middling college.
Founded 1879, but in a fairly central location.

College:

TRINITY

Stereotype: Small college (student numbers) but large, central and spacious site. A good average
college, though very much on the tourist trail.

College:

UNIVERSITY (UNIV)

Stereotype:

Slightly larger than average. Very old. Central. Active college societies.

College:

WADHAM

Stereotype:
for lefty.

A large college. Quite old and central. Active college students union is prospectus code

College:

WORCESTER

Stereotype: Slightly larger than average. Moderately old (1714). Set slightly away from centre in its
own lovely grounds, with lake and on-site sports field.
MGLC, St. Valentines Day, 2007, updated Advent 2009

19
UCAS Section 10
From an Oxbridge perspective

The following was shown at a conference for Higher Education advisers in Cambridge in September
2007 and almost exactly repeated at a similar Cambridge conference and an Oxford Teachers Open
Day in 2010.

How do we (i.e. Subject and admissions tutors at Cambridge) use

personal statements?
To confirm appropriateness of chosen subject and course
As an embarkation-point for discussion at interview
Subject focus
Reading and other wider exploration
Work experience (where relevant to course)
Personal statements must be both honest and personal
Extra-curricular activities/positions of responsibility (see

It was stressed that the work experience section is only where directly relevant to a vocational
course, e.g. medicine, veterinary med, engineering, architecture.
It was also stressed that they ARE NOT INTERESTED in the x-ca section (it was on the slide to
reassure people that they do expect this stuff to be on PS i.e. you dont NOT put this stuff down
simply because Cambridge (or Oxford) is one of your choices.
The speaker was asked about using quotations. The initial response was that it would depend on the
quotation, the tutor reading it, the rest of the statement. When pressed he suggested that it was
probably better NOT to use quotations, if only because it is meant to be a personal statement.
MGLC, All-Hallows Eve, 2007

20

The Oxbridge Interview

There are a great many weird and largely apocryphal stories about Oxbridge interviews which you will
probably be told by largely well-meaning people either before you go up for interview or while you are
there. Ignore these tales. They will often be from a different period when applicants for all subjects had
already sat two or more three-hour exam papers, and when tutors were less concerned about stories of
Oxbridge eccentricity reaching the newspapers and being seized upon by populist politicians. The vast
majority of tutors now take interviews very seriously indeed as the best way of differentiating between
excellent and (merely) very good candidates. They are even expected to go on courses on how to
interview!
Oxford and Cambridge both publish booklets / a video
Oxford advice and booklet also at http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/interviews/
Cambridge advice and online video at http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/interviews/ You
will probably want to look at these materials and there probably isnt much difference between an O/C
interview.
Take notice of advice about body language, but dont worry about it for Oxbridge. Tutors really are
looking for the brightest students, not polished PR (wo)men. If you get in, you will certainly meet
students (and possibly tutors!) who would never have got into Oxbridge otherwise (they may well
struggle to find a normal job, though!).
Even if you do not do so regularly, it is probably worth trying to follow the news (quality newspapers or
Radio 4 Today or PM will offer more analysis than TV news) both for any subject-specific stories that
might occur and for the general question that you might get.
Do make sure that you take with you a copy of your UCAS statement, extra O/C statement and any work
you were asked to submit. Interviews will very often take something in these as the starting point. They
may well also ask about things you wrote in any pre-interview test.
Do not be afraid to admit that you dont know something. If you try to bluff you will certainly be found
out and will tie yourself in knots. If you find yourself trying to defend a position that is clearly daft, the
best thing to do is to admit as much.
Do not rush straight into answering a difficult question, for fear of leaving a short silence.
At interview tutors are looking for:
Genuine interest in the subject/course
Enthusiasm for complex and challenging ideas
Intellectual flexibility, i.e. being able to think about things from a different perspective
Clarity of thought and analytical ability.
Take careful note of anything you may have learnt from open day, letter of invitation to interview or
prospectus about what your college may ask in an interview. My college tutors actually said at the open
day that the first question at interview would be what aspect of classics would you most like to be able

21
to study at university. I did not remember this until they reminded me of this at my actual interview 6
months later, which wasnt a very good start!
Tutors will not dress up for interviewing. Some will therefore look smart, most will not, and some will
look like hippies who didnt grow up. You, however, should look smart, i.e. your school suits with a
fairly discreet shirt & (non-school) tie. Some colleges will say that candidates are not expected to wear a
suit. They say this so no one feels they have to go out to buy a suit specially for interview, and so they
cant be accused of being elitist. Since you all have a suit, you should probably wear it.
It is more or less impossible to tell how well an interview has gone. If anything, a really difficult
interview may actually have gone very well, and an easy interview quite badly. This is because tutors
are more likely to seek to stretch a good candidate with more challenging questions.

REMEMBER ALSO THAT THE INTERVIEW IS ONLY ONE OF MANY THINGS THAT TUTORS
WILL BE LOOKING FOR, AND THAT IT IS NO MORE IMPORTANT THAN GCSE/AS GRADES,
OR ADMISSIONS TESTS.
Oxford second interviews / Cambridge pool
Someone only interviewed at the one Oxford college is probably a clear decision (which may of course
mean straight in or straight out). Being passed around may mean that you might be marginal for your
college choice but possibly worth a place elsewhere. In December 2010, some applicants were told they
had been pooled and offered interviews at other colleges, and were explicitly told But in the past
applicants have been passed around as a sort of quality control and to make sure that the overall
university admissions process is as fair as possible.
The pooling system at Cambridge is more obvious, in that it does mean you have been
rejected by your first choice college, but thought good enough to be worth a place at Cambridge, if some
other college is short of good applicants. Anyone with 7 or more A* at GCSE and an average best 3 of
92%+ on AS will almost certainly be pooled, if not given an offer at their first-choice college. You can
certainly be fished out of the pool, and offered a place at another college, or even pooled by your college
and then accepted by that college!
Do make use of the undergraduate helpers who will be on hand to offer tea & sympathy where
necessary. There will almost certainly be a designated helper for each subject at each college.
Every year at every college there will be an applicant who takes the chance of staying overnight in a
college with a licensed bar as the opportunity to get paralytically drunk. Do not be this person, no matter
how well or badly you may think your interview went (see above).
Do check the college notice board (usually next to the porters lodge) regularly to see if you have been
called for interviews elsewhere. But do not go to the other extreme of spending your two days sitting
miserably in your room, checking the notice every five minutes: do take the chance to see something of
Oxford or to visit people at other colleges.
Practicalities (O & C)

22
The train from Coventry/Leamington/Banbury will take you to platform 1 at Oxford. Simply go
through the main station concourse, out down the steps and keep heading in the same direction for the
centre of Oxford (definitely not worth taking a bus).
Similarly leaving Cambridge station by the main (only?) exit also leads you in the right direction,
but it probably is worth taking a bus to the city centre.
A CONDITIONAL offer, not a place!
Remember that even if you are successful you wont get the legendary two-E offer: this was given at the
time when the formal entrance exams & interview were being used and was thus a standard offer, not
something reserved for geniuses! Cambridges usual offer is now A*AA, with A* in mathematics not
counting if you are doing further maths. Oxford is now also requiring A*AA for most science/maths
subjects, but AAA for all arts and humanities subjects.
MGLC, updated Hilary Term, 2011

23

Norrington Table.
This table places Oxford colleges in rank order according to the average class of degree awarded to its
final-year students. For many years up to 2004, the information was collected from published lists by
enterprising students who sold it to newspapers. From 2005 the table has been complied and published
by the university. The information is useful in providing an idea of which colleges admit the best or
least good students, especially when colleges are consistently near the top, middle or bottom of the
table. But the tables can and do hide individual strengths and weaknesses in different subjects at
different colleges.

Balliol
Brasenose
Christ Church
Corpus Christi
Exeter
Hertford
Jesus
Keble
LMH
Lincoln
Magdalen
Mansfield
Merton
New
Oriel
Pembroke
Queen's
St. Anne's
St. Catz
St. Edmund Hall
St. Hilda's
St. Hugh's
St. John's
St. Peter's
Somerville
Trinity
University
Wadham
Worcester

2005
3
18

2004
4
20

2003
5
13

2002
10
25

2001
1
5

10-yr Av

6
11

9
16

18
10

9
15

7
8

9
8

8.2

24
9

25
17

7
6

12
8

10
19

26
16

12
10

17.9

8
13

15
18

18
26

13
10

5
19

14
21

9
15

14
19

12.3

21
8

30
10

22
8

19
8

29
24

27
13

29
22

29
20

25
6

25.2

3
28

4
23

2
28

3.5
29

4
19

3
29

3
26

5
28

7
27

3.55

2
5
24
23
10
20
16
27

1
6
14
25
7
12
26
22

1
5
29
10
16
13
26
12

1
3.5
28
23
12
22
21
13

2
15
27
17
20
8
22
25

1
7
25
24
27
15
16
9

1
7
23
25
27
8
16
20

1
3
23
27
14
6
4
18

3
3
11
22
21
18
16
26

1.6

29
22

29
9

27
25

20
24

23
28

30
14

24
17

21
17

23
24

24.8

1
25

2
20

6
20

5
27

1
26

2
11

6
18

2
19

2
29

3.1

19
11
7
9
15

28
15
18
16
27

19
7
14
17
11

16
9
10
7
14

12
14
5
11
20

17
23
26
6
21

28
11
4
2
12

24
22
12
11
13

28
17
13
20
15

2010
9
20

2009
14
26

2008
3
21

7
2
26
13
10
28
21
16
1
29
3
5
11
17
14
18
15
24
22
19
4
27

12
4

5
11

3
23

18
6

19
17

17
13

25
23
5
12
8

2007 2006
4
2
21
15

5.5
18.4
10.8
12.1
18.2
13.5
26.6
5.95
21.5
21.3
16.8
14.6
17.8
19.6
19.9
22.2
21.6
15.2
11.4
11.6
16.5

24
Tompkins Table
This table places Cambridge colleges in rank order according to the average class of degree awarded to
its final-year students. The information is collected from lists published by the university by an
accountant, Mr Tompkins for the Independent newspaper. The information is useful in providing an idea
of which colleges admit the best or least good students, especially when colleges are consistently near
the top, middle or bottom of the table. But the tables can and do hide individual strengths and
weaknesses in different subjects at different colleges.

Christ's
Churchill
Clare
Corpus Christi
Downing
Emmanuel
Fitzwilliam
Girton
Gonville & Caius
Homerton*

2010

2009

2008

2007 2006

12
3

13
7

8
6

2
15

8
13
15
1
22
21
11
27
16
14
5
23

18
10
15
2
21
20
4

13
9
12
2
21
22
4

17
8
3
1
14
21
10

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

6
13

4
18

2
19

2
9

4
10

1
9

12
8
11
1
19
22
2

9
16
15
5
13
24
2

4
10
17
1
15
25
5

6
7
12
1
20
17
4

3
18
8
2
20
16
7

6
20
10
2
13
17
8

10-year
Av pos.
5.4
10.9
9.6
11.9
11.8
1.8
17.7
20.2
5.7
27

7
19
5
23
24
10
18
16

9
18
13
23
22
7
25
11

10
17
20
24
23
4
21
14

7
10
20
25
21
6
22
8

9
20
22
23
13
6
21
8

10
16
18
24
21
3
22
5

9
14
15
24
22
1
23
5

11
21
22
23
24
7
19
5

10.2

10
7
17

11
17
8
23
24
6
16
12
19
3
22
5
14
1

17
1
14
11
20
3

20
4
12
5
19
6

18
7
9
3
15
5

11
19
14
1
12
3

16
11
18
7
14
3

23
14
15
11
13
8

21
13
19
12
11
6

14
12
16
18
4
3

17.8

Trinity

19
6
18
9
20
2

Trinity Hall

15

16

16

17

12

19

17

15

14.0

Jesus
King's
Magdalene
New Hall
Newnham
Pembroke
Peterhouse
Queens'
Robinson
Selwyn
Sidney Sussex
St. Catharine's
St. John's

16.6
14.8
22.8
21.8
6.0
19.4
10.1
9.0
15.7
8.2
14.0
4

Colleges which only admit mature students are not included. Womens colleges in pink. New Hall is
now officially called Murray Edwards.
* Homerton College has only recently started admitted enough undergraduates for subjects other than
education to be worth including.

MGLC, Lent, 2011

25
Arts/Humanities Courses NOT requiring specific A levels.
Successful applicants for these courses will need to satisfy tutors that they are Oxbridge material
academically and that they have as much genuine interest in the subject(s) in question as for subjects
which more obviously relate to school curriculum.
Some subjects vary quite significantly from the overall Oxbridge average of applicants per place (= 4
per place overall). In many cases college variations will make the picture even more extreme. This will
affect how easy it is to get in less than one might think. Small subjects are now administered centrally,
so if c. 60 apply for Arch&Anth for c.25 places, the department will assess all the candidates centrally,
and will take the best 25, even if they had all by chance applied for the same college. Some of the larger
and apparently more competitive subjects have inflated application figures precisely because anyone can
apply irrespective of A levels, and they also get quite a lot of unrealistic applications from UK and
abroad.
Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic (ASNC)
(Cam small; 2.2 per place)
Various languages connected with Old English. Like all Oxbridge ab initio languages, for very good
linguists who can go from scratch, at start of course, to reading and doing literary criticism on Beowulf
by the end of the FIRST year. Might appeal to A-level linguists (modern or classical) who want to do
something different, and/or to English students who have really enjoyed Chaucer.
(Ox v. small; 2.5 per place)
(Cam small; 2.3 per place)
Can appear statistically an easy route. More the case that it has different skills and applicants: just
being quite a good candidate who fancies the look of the course will NOT be good enough. You need to
have, and be able to show, a serious commitment to archaeology in particular (e.g. have been on several
digs, not just visited Greece or Stonehenge).
Archaeology & Anthropology

Education
(Cam medium; 2.5 per place)
A strange, and arguably non-academic subject. Essentially a course for those thinking of teaching at
primary level. The normal way into secondary teaching is to do a normal academic subject then a PGCE.
(Cam v. small; 4 per place)
(Ox new course (2005); v.v. small)
Wonderful if youve always been fascinated by Western Art and culture generally, and have something
more to say than just Thats a nice picture. You must be a museums and art galleries sort of person,
and have read and enjoyed Gombrich, The Story of Art. You cant understand Western Art without some
knowledge of Classical Mythology and the Bible.
History of Art

Human Sciences
(Ox small; 3 per place)
An attempt at a course combining sciences and humanities. Biology A-level described as helpful rather
than essential or recommended, though in fact the course seems to include fairly serious biological
topics, as well as several more akin to geography and others on anthropology/sociology.
Land Economy

(Cam v. small; 5 per place)

26
Traditionally a course to teach the sons of landed gentry how to manage their estates. And still has, but
is trying to get rid of, this reputation. It does still widely have a reputation as attracting and accepting
candidates who were less strong academically than for most other subjects. (With at least some
justification 10 years ago.)
(Ox large; 5 per place (more for Law with Europe)
(Cam large; 6 per place)
Absolutely DONT need to have studied law A level, even at schools where this is offered. NOR do you
need to be committed to a career in law neither course qualifies you to practise law immediately. Both
are concerned with the academic side of law, rather than the practical (e.g. Jurisprudence still includes
mandatory study of Roman law). Oxford requires candidates to take the LNAT paper (Law National
Assessment Test) as do other top Law schools: Cambridge is adopting its own admissions test from
2010.
Law (= Jurisprudence Ox)

Philosophy
(Cam small; 6 per place)
Oxford, which is certainly the best place to study philosophy anywhere, does not offer straight
philosophy because it is too difficult to get a grasp of without relating it to some solid subject. You
will need to have read as widely as possible in philosophy, and be good at thinking and writing.
Politics, Philosophy & Economics (PPE)
(Ox very large; 5 per place)
A unique and world-famous degree course, read by many political leaders from UK and elsewhere
(Harold Wilson, Benazir Bhutto, Imran Khan: Bill Clinton apparently claimed to have read PPE, though
he did not!). Does NOT officially require A levels in any of its constituent subjects. This is because
many schools do not offer all or any of these subjects. As WS does, it would be very strange to apply
without at least one of these A levels.
DOES NOT OFFICIALLY REQUIRE MATHEMATICS (unlike the very mathematical applied
statistics Economics course at Cambridge. However there has been recent (to 2010) discussion within
economics sub-faculty about whether to make AS maths required for PPE. Clearly the economics
teachers do regard mathematical ability as important, and mathematics will be taught as part of the
course. The tutor representing humanities at a teachers conference at St. Annes C in Summer 2010
gave a simple Yes to the question Do you need maths A-level?.
Also allows considerable study of sociology. Requires clear and analytical thought and a demonstrable
interest in current affairs. Not a course for the shy and retiring. Candidates take, from November 2010, a
Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) test, exactly like parts of the Critical Thinking AS level).
Social and Political Sciences (SPS) (Cam medium; 6.7 per place)
A more or less unique combination of politics, psychology, sociology (including social anthropology).
Probably doesnt have quite the prestige or the reputation of Oxford PPE for training wannabe
politicians.
(Ox smallish; 3 per place)
(Cam small; 3 per place)
Most have done RS, but not particularly an advantage looking for breadth of interest, and essay basedsubjects (though arts & science mix OK too). At both O&C the course includes compulsory study of a
Theology

27
scriptural language. In most cases ancient Greek, since although this is hard, Hebrew, Arabic, Sanskrit
are harder, and the courses are based around Judaeo-Christian theology. However students include all
religious beliefs and none.

28
Some Notes on Other Oxbridge Subjects
Classics
Both O & C will stress that it is not essential to have taken A levels in Latin or Greek. (But Latin OR
Greek is still described as highly desirable) This is to avoid elitism and cater for people at (the great
majority of UK) schools where no classics is offered. Tutors will know that we are a school that does
still seriously offer both, and would take a very dim view of someone applying from WS without Latin
or Greek (either is fine, both is a definite advantage).

Oriental Studies (includes Arabic/Islamic; Persian; Chinese, Japanese, Egyptology, Sanskrit, Hebrew,
South Asian).
Beware: Cambridge have (disgracefully) closed down several of their less popular options to
concentrate on growth areas of Chinese, Arabic & Japanese.
All of these courses involve learning a difficult ancient or modern language, so although they are not
officially required, you would be very unwise to apply without evidence that you are a good ancient or
modern linguist (e.g. A levels OR actual experience in a language)

Modern Languages
Both Oxford and Cambridge offer very traditional modern language courses, in which the emphasis is
very much on studying great literature. Learning Italian (vocab, grammar, syntax) is simply the means to
the end of reading Dante, Petrach or Calvino. The year abroad will take care of the practical, oral and
aural side. So although there are language classes, the main thrust of your work each week will be to
read some great literature in the original, read secondary criticism on it, probably largely in English and
then to write your tutorial essay, certainly in English.
For you to want to do this course, you need to like literature. Tutors are aware than A level courses
include virtually no study of set texts (if you are doing a classical language A-level, they will ask you at
interview about that set text!), but will expect evidence (UCAS or interview) that you have read some
literary classics in translation, and ideally a small amount in the original language. See your ML teacher
for advice about this.
It is possible to apply with just one language A level, but if you know you want to apply for ML, do two
or even three!

Economics
Possible as a single subject only at Cambridge (Oxford does PPE or Economics and Management or
Engineering, Economics and Management). A Cambridge tutor in a closely related subject has described
Cambridge Economics to me as Applied Statistics. In other words it is very heavily mathematical in
content. To be a serious candidate you need to be doing double maths, with as many stats modules as
possible. You should also be doing economics, and history is what they would most like as a fourth
subject. It is very competitive.
English: Extremely competitive!

29

Oxbridge Medicine
Getting a place for medicine anywhere is tough.
At Oxbridge it is not tough x2, but tough2. (where (for mathematical pedants)
tough > 2)
So the usual comments about being a decent candidate with 6A* at GCSE and 90% average UMS at AS
level simply do not apply. You are almost certainly below average with this level for medicine! In recent
years,
1 successful applicant (Cam) had 9A* and 98% average in best 3 AS
3 unsuccessful applicants (all Ox) averaged 8.6A* and 92.3% AS
Cambridge expects to take people who are both brilliant and hard-working enough to complete the
medical course in 2 years and then do something completely different in the third year, e.g. law or
philosophy (though you can do the third year in a pure science discipline)!
Both universities require candidates to take the BMAT test
At Oxford, even to make the interview stage, you need to reach a certain score (not disclosed) on a
combination of percentage of GCSEs in which you got an A*, compared to other pupils at WS and
BMAT %age. This hurdle reduces the field from 7 the applicants per place who apply to around 2.5 per
place of those who are interviewed.
Cambridge deselects fewer candidates after the BMAT test (normal applications 5 per place). The
following specific advice on this came from Pembroke College, Cambridge, review of admissions for
2007/8
Agreement has been reached on criteria for the pre-selection of candidates in Medicine, based on a
combination of GCSE scores, AS module scores, and BMAT scores. Most successful candidates for
Medicine have a minimum of 7A* at GCSE, an average of over 90% in AS modules in three relevant
subjects and at least two B grades in the BMAT. If two out of three scores are significantly below this,
then a medical candidate may not be called for interview.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Oxford and Cambridge medical faculties would both place a
great deal of emphasis in their course on academic rather than simply practical skills. They would both
regard themselves as training people who will be at the forefront of medical research (and perhaps even
ethics) in 20 years time. They are not training people just to be good GPs or even surgeons. If you
intend to pursue a career in general medicine, Oxbridge is not the right place anyway.
Oxford Medicine is not one of the Oxford science/maths subjects which will now be setting a standard
conditional offer to include one A* at A-level.

30

Sciences
If youre interested in science you have to have the math (sic American spelling) AND a good
sense of math. (Don Porcelli, Tutor in Earth Sciences, St. Annes College, Oxford, at a teachers
conference, June 2010.
Oxford splits its science courses into individual subjects: Biological sciences, Biochemistry, Chemistry,
Physics. Cambridge combines all its science into Natural Sciences (NatSci), though they then subdivide
this into Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences

Cambridge Science
NatSci
This is a very prestigious course (almost certainly the most famous science course in the world). It is
therefore more competitive than the Oxford single science courses, and seems to demand a great deal of
science/mathematics. To give yourself the best chance you need to be doing the following at
A2(probably in the order below)
Physical Sciences
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry
Further Maths

Biological Sciences
Chemistry
Mathematics
Biology / Physics
(some Further Maths)

Experience suggests that at interview, questions often focus on the science NOT being studied at A
level!
Mathematics is essential: you get a choice of 3 from 7 scientific topics in the first year, AND HAVE TO
DO a course in mathematics.
Director of Admissions at Cambridge said (September 2007 and September 2010)
For broad-based science courses there is some benefit in doing 4 subjects at A2
For mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering, Physical NatSci, there is a clear benefit in doing
Further Maths and 3 other subjects
(3xA2 + 2xAS 4xA2)
e.g. for Mathematics or Engineering, double mathematics and physics at A2 is NOT enough, but this
with e.g. French is fine. (The reason is that tutors will expect good applicants to be good enough at
mathematics for the standard A level to be fairly easy to achieve.)
Many colleges expect candidates to take the TSA while in Cambridge. An admissions tutor in NatSci
commented that high or low marks in this test, i.e. c 80% or c. 40% are significant, but scores in
between do not tell much about the candidate.

31

Oxford Science
A*
In January 2011, Oxford announced (apparently to the press, before it appeared on the university
website!) that the standard offer for most (but not, apparently all) science/maths subjects would
be A*AA. These subjects are: Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Computing, Engineering (and joint
schools), Mathematics (and joint schools) and Physics (and joint schools).
Earth Sciences will offer A*AA or AAAA.
Offers seem set to remain at AAA for medicine and biochemistry, at least for this year.
Chemistry
The key point to note about this course is that it is fairly mathematical in content. The 2008 prospectus
lists maths A level as recommended i.e. highly desirable to study if not please check with
individual colleges about applying. A footnote says although not formally required only a very small
number of students are admitted each year without A-level mathematics.
Physics
You should be doing physics and double mathematics. (Further maths does not appear in the essential
column because Oxford does not want to seem to discriminate against (state) schools which do not offer
further maths. The Physics Aptitude Test seems to be used to reject weaker physicists even before
interview.
Biology
Biochemistry
Biomedical Sciences
Earth Sciences
This is a small but expanding subject, which is trying to get rid of its old title of geology. It wants not
to be a part of geography, but a version of Cambridge Physical Natural Sciences. Its publicity quite
explicitly states that its looking for people who are doing double maths, physics and chemistry at A
level. This subject now requires A*AA OR AAAA at A-level.

32
Oxbridge Choral Awards
In addition to their normal subject application (any subject except for medicine), candidate may apply
for a choral award at most O/C colleges. If successful, they will go to O/C as a choral scholar, contracted
to sing at college chapel services, for a small annual payment and/or free music lessons.
Choral Foundations
Between them, Oxford and Cambridge have five colleges with Choral Foundations. In each case they
are associated with a school or choir school which provides boys to sing in the choir. Their choirs are
thus entirely male-voice, and so female students cannot apply for choral awards at these colleges.
Anyone who can sing countertenor properly may thus be at some advantage! The current order of the
top five professional choirs in terms of their reputation and prestige would, in my opinion, be:
Kings College, Cambridge

(Stephen Cleobury)

New College, Oxford

St. Johns College, Cambridge

(Edward Higginbottom)
(Andrew Nethsingha young, recently appointed & not yet famous)

Madgalen College, Oxford

Christ Church, Oxford

(Daniel Hyde)
(Stephen Darlington)

The gaps are intentional: Kings probably is way out ahead, if only because of its Nine Lessons and
Carols service on Christmas Eve, and because of its chapel. The Directors of Music at Kings and New
are extremely distinguished. St Johns, C, has an exceptionally distinguished tradition , but a recent
director who is not well known and new director of music starting in 2007.
If you are good enough vocally to be accepted by one of these choirs, you give yourself an advantage
in applying to the university2, since you will only need to show that you are good enough
academically to be worth a place (whereas all other applicants will have to do this AND be better than
some or many other applicants (depending on where and what they are applying for)).
If you are not good enough vocally (or are not the best 1/2 for your particular voice) you will still be
considered for your academic subject according to the normal procedure.
In a sense, therefore, applying to a choral foundation gives you an extra chance, but you will be on a
contract and be expected to do a great deal of practice, with services almost every day. Singing in the
choir would be probably your main social life. (Dont forget though that for arts subjects, you may well
have only have perhaps 3/4 hours of compulsory teaching per week.)
Other Colleges
Almost every other college at O/C has a chapel and college choir, and offers choral awards (usually the
same small amount per annum as the choral foundations!). This time they are for female S/A and male
2

Both universities seem wary of saying this openly, though the Cambridge foundations explicitly
say they make their decisions before the main admissions procedure. Oxford foundations imply it.
New College says with singing very much taken into account when decisions on admissions are
made.

33
T/B. Most of these will perform evensong Wed & Sun only, with probably just the rehearsals
beforehand. Some will do the odd professional recording or choir trips (can depend on the individual
organ scholar so hard to predict). Being good enough to get a choral award at one of these non-choralfoundation colleges is quite unlikely to help you get in academically.

So roughly speaking, in terms of advantages and disadvantages:

Cambridge
Apply to Kings and/or SJC only
+ fantastic musical opportunities
+ small scholarship, bigger opportunities for making some money as a result of recordings, concerts,
singing at May Balls etc
+ easier admission for subject
- huge workload
- may not be best college for you personally / your subject
Apply to other colleges for choral award
+ good musical opportunities
+ you can choose the college you actually want to go to
- no advantage in admission
- choir commitment (whereas you can join as a non-scholar too)

Oxford
Apply to New, Magdalen or Christ Church
+ fantastic musical opportunities
+ small scholarship, bigger opportunities for making some money as a result of recordings, concerts,
singing at Balls etc
+ easier admission for subject
+ choral decision made very early, so if not accepted musically, you can make normal UCAS
application, including to Cambridge (but not for choral award) or to a different Oxford college
- huge workload
Apply to other colleges for choral award
+ good musical opportunities
+ you can more or less choose the college you actually want to go to
- no advantage in admission
- choir commitment (whereas you can join as a non-scholar too)
- some colleges not part of Oxford choral awards scheme
Or - Dont apply for a choral award at all both O/C
Still excellent musical opportunities (3/4 excellent full orchestras at each university; dozens of choirs,
including college choirs; Opera societies, G&S societies.
Hundreds of other extra curricular societies and sports on a college and university basis.

34
Can be far more flexible in what else you do and when you do it (e.g. around exam-time).

Deadlines
The university deadlines for applications for choral awards (and for Cambridge for extra Cambridge
application form) are significantly earlier than for normal entry. (1 Sept Oxford, early Sept
Cambridge, i.e. they need to be done in the summer holiday.
This has important practical school consequences the following would need to know that you are at
least likely to apply (might depend on AS modules admittedly) by a week before the end of the summer
term (about time of main Oxford open days, and before Cambridge ones!). Form tutor; JNJ; GNF; TGB.

MGLC November 2007 & Advent 2009

35

An Oxbridge Miscellany
Oxford
Quads

Cambridge
Courts

Tutorials

Supervisions

Michaelmas
Hilary
Trinity
Magdalen
The Bod(leian
library)

Michaelmas
Lent
Easter
Magdalene
The UL
(university library)

Vacation

Vacation

Meaning
A set of buildings on four sides of an open
area, usually grassed (Dont walk across
the grass!)
The main teaching system usually
involving a tutor discussing an essay with
1/2 students.
Autumn term
Spring Term
Summer term
Both pronounced Maudlin
The major university libraries (Copyright
Libraries to which a copy of every single
book published in the UK must be sent.)
Holiday. Long Vac = 16 week summer hol

Tripos (C): originally meant a three-legged (as in tripod) stool on which students sat when taking their
exams, the name now refers to the whole degree course, which is usually in 2 parts, with exams at the
end of each!
Gonville and Caius College (C): usually referred to as Caius (pronounced Keys)
St Edwards Hall (O): always known as Teddy Hall
Director of Studies (DOS) (C): the person responsible for organising the teaching of a particular subject
at a Cambridge College.
Bumps/torpids/blades/eights etc. various rowing terms
Whats in a name?
St Johns: at Oxford = John the Baptist; at Cambridge = John the Evangelist
Queens: at Oxford, Queens; at Cambridge, Queens
Other colleges which share the same name do honour the same person, even
Magdalen(e) (Oxford without, Cambridge with). Both universities pronounce as Maud-lin, but allege
that the other university pronounces as Mag-da-len!!
St Cath?rine: at Oxford with an E; at Cambridge with an A. I think they honour the same saint, she of
the Catherine-wheel.
Murray Edwards = New Hall (New Hall being apparently always intended as a temporary name, now
officially changed (2008) after large donations from Murray and Edwards.
Some Oxford Colleges which have geographical town/city names (Exeter, Lincoln, were founded by
Bishops from those bishoprics). Worcester and Hertford were founded by people from those places.
Mansfield College was founded in Birmingham.

36
The Cambridge College which seem to have geographical names based on villages (Girton, Homerton,
Newnham) are named after the local Cambridgeshire village.
College/Hall: There is no difference between a College and a Hall, but Trinity College and Trinity
Hall are entirely separate colleges at Cambridge. Christ Church (O) and Peterhouse (C) are, strictly
speaking Houses, so Peterhouse College is a solecism.
New College (O): Founded 1379 in honour of the Virgin Mary and therefore newer than the other
Oxford college founded in her honour in 1326, now known (from its windows) as Oriel.
Permanent Private Halls (O): These are NOT the same as normal Oxford Colleges, being much
smaller, specialising in theology and related subjects and maintaining very close links to the particular
religious order which founded them. For example, Blackfriars is essentially for Dominican monks.
Formal or informal hall is the term usually used to describe dinner in college. Informal usually means
self-service. Formal usually means a set 3-course meal, with gowns worn over normal clothes, preceded
by Latin grace and sometimes candlelit. Some colleges regard formal hall as elitist/archaic and do not
hold it regularly or at all. Others hold it every evening.
Tutors, Dons, Fellows all used to describe the academic staff (male and female) at both O&C colleges.
For some reason senior academic staff at Christ Church are known properly as Students!
The Backs: the (very beautiful, picture-postcard) grounds of the historic colleges on the west side of
Cambridge which back onto the river Cam (see front cover of this booklet!).
St Benets. Only somewhere in Cambridge could have a place name requiring two apostrophes! (The
first one shows that St Benett originally had two Ts.) This church in central Cambridge is the oldest
building in the county.
MGLC, Trinity Term, 2007 & Hilary Term 2011.